Celebrations held for German test pilot

Test pilot Captain Peter Weger has celebrated the end of a 50-year flying career with flight from Farnborough Airport, UK to Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany

As one of Germany´s most experienced test pilots, type-rated on 50 aircraft types and with a total of 13,000 hours logged, Peter has enjoyed a varied career since graduating from the Empire Test Pilot School at Boscombe Down, UK.

His last flight was on a 328 Support Services GmbH’s Dornier 328 turboprop

Peter flew the F-104 and F-4 Phantom in the German Air Force, obtained an aeronautical engineering degree from the ´Hochschule der BW´ in Neubiberg, Germany and later served as chief test pilot at Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm in Manching, Germany, where he was engaged mainly on Tornado and Eurofighter Development and a variety of experimental aircraft testing.

He is credited with flying the first Eurofighter 2000, on the 27th of March 1994 in Manching and the first flight on the Dornier 328 Jet in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany in 1997

Peter worked on the Dornier program during the development of its 728 jet. He joined Cirrus Airlines flying the 328 in commercial service for several years. Peter then became involved with the Grob Aerospace G180 flight program. When that programme was shelved in 2006, he joined 328 Support Services as lead test pilot.

Peter was awarded the Kincheloe Award for outstanding achievement from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 1994 and was the first German to accept the accolade.

Dave Jackson, CEO of 328 Support Services said, “We would like to thank Peter for his outstanding accomplishments – not just on the 328 programmes, but for his significant contribution to flying in Germany. We wish Peter and his family a very happy retirement.”

About Author

Ben has worked all of his career as a journalist and now editor, covering almost all aspects of technology, engineering and industry. In the last 16 years he has written on subjects from nuclear submarines and autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies and commercial aviation. Latterly editor of a leading engineering magazine, he brings an eye for a great story and lots of experience to the team.